Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Wiki Guide

Headless Ape

A returning foe not ready to meet death, the Headless Ape is a boss in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. This enemy is a variation of the boss previously fought in the Sunken Valley, though now you must face him again in the Ashina Depths with a few new tricks.

A massive white beheaded ape with wielding the large sword that beheaded him along with his own head, this boss can be found in the Guardian Ape's Burrow near the start of the Ashina Depths, past the Poison Pits.

The good news is you already know this fight by now - and you’re probably much stronger by now: You’ve got more attack power and the Mortal Blade! You’re going to want to repeat the familiar beats of parrying his side thrusts, jumping over his staggering sweep attacks, and running when he pulls his head up. Be sure to also look for the large slamming attacks when he holds his sword straight up - deflecting those will stagger him to the ground and give you many free hits before he gets up to scream.

Be sure to stock Pacifying Agents just in case, and take this fight carefully - you may know it well, but there’s no need to get greedy. If he tries to do a running slide, sprint around behind him or jump on him to slash at his legs, and keep the damage up - you can chip away at his vitality without worrying about him blocking, and eventually his health and posture will break away.

Enraged by his defeat, the Headless Ape will run to the far corner of the room and let out a loud bellow - calling to...something. Another Giant Ape.

Yes, this part can look bad. Very bad. However, don’t worry - this phase isn’t as bad as it seems. For starters, the Guardian Ape’s child is a lot less durable, even compared to the fight in the Sunken Valley. It won’t take a lot to get Player 2 out of the game - but you will need to be careful.

This phase will be all about spacing, and getting your hits in where you can. You need to focus entirely on getting the new addition out of the equation before going back to focus on the Headless Ape - but that doesn’t mean you can ignore his attacks. You’re going to want to start sprinting around the arena to try and get them apart - or at least get the Headless Ape into one of his slower attacks that you can run around to focus on his child.

The good news is that the Headless Ape’s only perilous attacks are the staggering sweep, and the jump into a sweep - so if you see the symbol when fighting the lesser ape, just be ready to jump. You can also still use the Shinobi Firecrackers against the Headless Ape’s offspring to great effect - but since it doesn’t work on the headless wonder, don’t expect him to give you a free pass. Use it when he’s otherwise occupied swinging away far from you - and then start wailing on the lesser ape.

You can also use the Flame Vent to deal a good amount of damage, and let the burns soak in as you run away from incoming attacks from the Headless Ape. As for the lesser Ape’s attacks - she only uses a few of his attacks from the Sunken Valley - namely the jumping grab, and uppercut attacks that send her sprawling, as well as wild slashes - so take care when engaging. She may also do a giant leaping strike that’s best to get out of the way of - and if you’re lucky, she’ll do this while the Headless Ape does his long scream - giving you plenty of time to attack the smaller ape while he’s busy.

Once the offspring is dead, she’ll stay gone, and you can go back to slowly whittling down the Headless Ape’s health and posture - just play it patient. Defeating the pair will earn you the Memory: Headless Ape, as well as not one but TWO Prayer Beads!

You may notice that the body won’t disappear this time, as the centipede controlling the body you stabbed still wriggles around.

Take the time to finish it once and for all with your Mortal Blade to earn the achievement and make sure the beast does not rise again. Doing with will also earn you the Bestowal Ninjutsu - allowing you to backstab an enemy and imbue your katana with extended reach and power.